 Other artistes of the pioneering years included Somabandu, Edwin Samaradivakara, W B Makuloluwa, Lionel Algama, Somadasa Elvitigala, R L Wimaladharma and Shelton Premaratne.The Kalayathanaya was also the focal point of many foreign artistes who visited Sri Lanka, film stars from India, and dancers like Martha Graham, Paul Tailor, Bulrashkhani, Nurtan and Marcel Marceau from France and Ravi Shankar who visited it several times.Ganganalh, Prema Kumar, Shesha Palihakkara were some of the earliest pupils.